Role of homobrassinolide, abscisic acid, and 6-benzylamino purine on delaying flower senescence in Gladiolus grandiflora

Abstract

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of homobrassinolide (HBL), abscisic acid (ABA) and 6-benzylamino purine (BAP) on the post-harvest life of 2 Gladiolus grandiflora cultivars, snow princess and nova lux. Different concentrations of HBL, ABA and BAP were applied to cut flowers. The experimental results showed that ABA and BAP treatments significantly increased post-harvest life in snow princess and nova lux cultivars compared to untreated flowers. However, HBL treatment was unsuccessful in delaying senescence in gladiolus. Furthermore, ABA and BAP treatments were more effective in delaying senescence in the nova lux cultivar than in the snow princess cultivar. Vase solutions containing BAP (500 M) and ABA (10 M) were the most efficient in extending the life of the cut floral spike of the nova lux variety (10 and 9 days respectively) followed by the snow princess variety (8 and 7 days respectively). Increasing fresh weight of flowers, vase solution uptake and membrane integrity along with a decrease in pH, malondialdehyde content, and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity prolonged flowers' post-harvest life. In terms of the post-harvest life of G. grandiflora, BAP outperformed ABA in improving the flower longevity of Gladiolus by maintaining higher physiological and biochemical stability in petals.